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CJ 4DPlex Becomes Fastest-Growing Premium Cinema Format

September 9, 2017

CJ 4DPlex of South Korea, a major provider of what is becoming known as '4D Cinema', just announced the opening of the 400th theater using its patented technology merging motion into the movie-watching experience.

The 400th 4DX location was officially launched on September 8th at Wanda Cinemas in Tiantongyuan, Beijing, China, with the screening of Spider-Man: Homecoming - an ideal showcase for an innovative film technology that features motion seats and environmental effects such as rain, fog and various scents.

The opening of its 400th location makes 4DX the fastest-growing premium cinema format, having reached this milestone in seven-and-a-half years following its debut in 2009.

With this opening, more than 49,000 4DX seats have been installed in theatre auditoriums across 49 countries, with the capacity to accommodate more than 89 million worldwide moviegoers per year. This impressive number is due in part to an accelerated growth rate that has led to more than ten new 4DX sites opening per month for the past ten months, with the number of worldwide locations growing from 300 to 400 in record time, topping the 12 months it previously took to grow from 200 to 300.

"Launching our 400th location has significant meaning for us, and is a testament to being the fastest-growing premium cinema format. We plan to build on this momentum and continue to thrive worldwide, with the goal to be the leading premium cinema brand in the global cinema industry in the coming years," said Byung-Hwan Choi, CEO of CJ 4DPLEX. "We look forward to seeing sustainable growth in the global market as we build solid partnerships and maintain reliable relationships with our exhibitor partners."

4DX has simultaneously expanded into many countries around the world thanks to strategic partnerships with leading exhibitors in each market. This includes CGV (with 72 4DX locations in Asia, Turkey and the U.S.); Wanda Cinemas (66 4DX locations in China); Cinepolis (53 4DX locations in Latin America, the U.S. and India); Cineworld Group (30 4DX locations in Central and Eastern Europe); VOX Cinemas (12 4DX locations in the Middle East); and Regal Entertainment Group (plans to expand to 20 4DX-enabled locations in the U.S. by the end of 2018), among many others.

CJ 4DPLEX holds 67 patents around the world and the innovative and state-of-the-art 4DX technology is at the core of the format's global expansion and popularity. Considered to be one of the most significant innovations in cinematic technology, 4DX is a next-generation movie theatre format. The company's exclusive 4DX Software allows its 4DX Studio team to design multisensory seat motions and environmental effects that provide a completely immersive experience for moviegoers. The sophisticated 4DX process provides the largest number of signature effects industry-wide, released only after strict selection procedures, field tests and quality control with major studios. Today, 20 different kinds of effects have been created, with CJ 4DPLEX continuously improving existing effects and inventing new ones. This includes the new Sway & Twist motions developed to bring realistic, dynamic movements to the 4D industry for the first time.